Bridge-scoring device



W. M. PAXTON. BRIDGE SCORING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. e. 1922.

1,435,620, Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

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14/ /V Pax 22o/2 Registered Nov. 14, 1922.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. PAXTON, 0F FLORENCE, ALABAMA.

BRIDGE-SCORING DEVICE.

Application led March 6, 1922.

To all w/zofmif may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. PAx'roNy a citizen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridge-Scoring Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to bridge scoring devices, and an important object of the invention is to provide a device whereby the value of a given number of tricks of a hand of bridge may be determined and whereby at the same time the value of the honors of a hand may be determined.

In a game of bridge the scoring is rendered particularly difficult by the fact that in addition to a given valuation for each trick of a certain suit there are other elements of the hand to be considered designated as honors and which have a. .certain value which; must be computed in the scoring. This value changes considerably, agiven number of honors having different values in the same hand where they are differently divided. For example, in the suit of hearts if there are five honors held in one hand theyhave a value of eighty points, if fourof the honors are held in one hand and a fifth in a partners hand they have a value of seventy-two points, if the five are divided three and two between the partners they have onl a value of forty. When it is considered t at these values constantly change for the live trump suits of the game, it will be obvious that scoring becomes a complicated matter, and a mechanical aid is therefore desirable.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be simply operated and from which the computations may be readily ascertained.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent throughout the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout; t

Serial No. 541,599.

.Figure 1 is a plan view of a scoring dev1ce constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is aside elevation thereof;

gigure 3 is a plan of the disk detached; an

Figure 4 is a view of the obverse side of the scoring device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a sheet of any desired material having formed therein a plurality of what may be designated trick openings disposed upon a circle. The sheet is provided adjacent each opening with indiciav indicating that it is a trick opening and the number of tricks which it represents. The numeral l2 designates a plurality of what may be designated as honor openings, the sheet being provided adjacent each of such openings with indicia indicating the manner of division of the. honors and that they are honor openings. A further opening 13 is provided, the sheet being provided with the designation trumpsand through which the trump of the hand being Icomputed is to be disclosed.

As hereinbefore stated, the are arranged upon a circle. The honor openings and trump opening are likewise arranged upon a circle concentric with the circle upon which the trick openings are arranged, and the sheet has secured thereto at the center of these circles a pivot 14. Beneath the sheet is arranged a disk 15 having its end edges projecting so that they may be engaged for rotating the same. This disk is provided upon its face with a series of five characters 16 designating the trumps, as a silhouette of a heart. diamond, club, spade and the initials N. T. designating no trump. The sheet l0 is likewise provided with a stop member 17 coacting with al curved slot 18 formed in the disk 15 to limit the rotation thereof and constantly keep one of the trump characters 16 in alignment with the trump opening 13 of the sheet.

The disk 15 is provided with other series of characters 19 aligning with the trick openings l1 and showing the value of the number of tricks designated upon the sheet at the sides 0f the opening of the trumps designated by trick openings B v l 1.435,620

the character 16 exposed at the trump opening 13. The disk 15 is likewise provid with another series of indicia 20. indicating the value of the honors, the particular indicia aligned with any of the openings 12 indicating the Value of the designated number of honors in their particular designated division when the suit designated at the trump opening is trumps.

In the use of my device, when it is desired to determine the value of a hand, say for example in hearts, when six tricks are taken and there are four honors which are divided, the disk is rotated until theiheart symbol is aligned with the trump opening. By adding the figures showing at the trick opening for six tricks with the value appearing in theI lhonor opening for four divided honors, the value of the tricks and honors may be readily computed. These values may in turn be added to the fixed values for scoring a hand which do not change and which will preferably appear upon the face of the sheet 1() at the sides or ends of the portions thereof hav. ing the trick,` honor and trump openings therein. The obverse side of the sheet has preferably secured thereto at its marginal ortions a second sheet 21 for maintaining the disk in position upon the pivot 14 and this sheet 21 is preferably divided and sub. divided to form the space for scoring as indicated.

It will be obvious that the construction as hereinbefore 'set forth fis capable of some change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to this i construction except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

In a bridge scoring device, a sheet having a plurality of trick openings formed therein correspondin in number to the number of tricks possib e in a. hand, said sheet being provided adjacent such openings with indicia indicating the number of tricks, the sheet being further provided with honor openings corresponding in number to the number of combinations ofhonors possible in one hand, the sheet being provided adjacent the honor openings with indicia indicating the number and division of the honors, the sheet being further, provided with a trump opening, a member associated with the sheet shiftable with relation thereto in a given direction, indicia carried by the member indicating the suit and alignable with the trump opening of the sheet, and other indicia carried by said member and alignable with the trick and honor openin indicating the value of the tricks and of t e honors in all .combinations thereof and laligning with such openin simultaneously with the alignment of their corresponding trump with the trump opening, whereby all values of tricks and honors in all combinations thereof for a given trump appear at said openings upon selection of the trump by alignment thereof with said trump opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my f signature.

WILLIAM M. PAXTON. 

